Release
by LuigiWife1551
Summary: Prompto had been trying to move on from everything that happened but it was hard and he was close to a breakdown. Thankfully he had a friend who was more than willing to lend a listening ear.


**Hello all! Here is another FFXV piece- time for some more hurt Prompto! Seriously, I need to stop... and I will, don't worry. References are from the main game as well as parts of Episode Prompto... although I have no clue where in the main story it fell, so if someone could explain that part to me I'd be grateful.**

 **Anyways, please enjoy! I own nothing but this idea.**

* * *

 **Release**

 _Prompto could barely muster the strength to keep walking towards that door. He knew what lay beyond it. He knew what he was going to see, and that was what terrified him the most._

 _He knew. He knew and he wished he didn't._

 _He wanted to stop walking, to turn back and go home, back with the others. He needed their strength, because this was something he'd never been able to handle. But they didn't know... he'd never told them... he wished he'd been honest. Maybe then he wouldn't be here alone right now... maybe none of this would be happening right now..._

 _A bright light enveloped him, and suddenly, everything became painful. Breathing became painful, and moving became impossible. He realized he was there again, and struggled to get free. It was no use- he was captured again._

 _"Comfortable, traitor? Or should I call you by your true name, Unit 05953234?"_

 _Prompto felt his head spinning as something struck the side of his face, causing the back of his head to hit the brace hard. He tried to catch his breath to form words, but another blow quickly stopped any remaining thoughts he might of had._

 _Squinting one eye open, Prompto made out a black-ish blob bouncing towards him. He pried his other eye open, and his heart stopped._

 _Noct ... there was no mistaking that mop of raven hair, or those deep onyx colored eyes. That was his best friend... but something was wrong._

 _Why did he look so angry? Prompto hated that calm expression that he was faced with- when Noct was calm like that, he was beyond reason. And that would do this captured sharpshooter no good._

 _"N...Noct... Noct..." Prompto felt tears run down his cheeks... he was scared. Why was he calling him that? He knew Prompto was a human! He was human!_

 _"Can't talk, you worthless piece of trash? Tsk... well, guess I have to do the dirty work... as usual..." 'Noct' complained as he produced a dagger and approached the trapped blond. Prompto tried to say something other than his best friend's name, when he figured out another frightening fact- he couldn't talk anymore. Nothing past saying his friend's name... and even that wasn't making sense anymore._

 _Was this it? Was he about to die and would never have the chance to tell them the truth?_

 _"I..."_

 _Suddenly, he collapsed, falling face first into the ground. Struggling to lift his head, he saw he was right outside the metal door. But he didn't care._

 _He appeared to be normal. But why did everything hurt so bad? He could barely move his body, arms, anything. So he curled into a ball. Too much was happening at once. He needed to rest... just for a moment..._

 _Then he heard a voice that chilled him to his core._

 _"Well, well... looks like my child returns to me..."_

 _Prompto saw feet. That was all he could see; he could barely raise his head. He had only seen the shoes once his entire life, and yet, it left an imprint in his mind. Probably always will._

 _"N...No... p-please..." he whimpered, but it fell on deaf ears._

 _He felt his hair being tugged, and he let out a strangled scream as he came face to face with his father,_ _Verstael. His face was warped completely- no longer that of an elderly man, or even a half a man... no, it was a daemon. Prompto's eyes widened in fear and he struggled to get free, but to no avail._

 _"Awww, what's the matter? Afraid of your own flesh and blood?" Verstael said mockingly, one hand coming to Prompto's cheek. He caressed it almost like a father would his son, and the blond let the tears roll._

 _Noct was one thing... but this man... he was going to kill him. He knew it._

 _"Too bad your so-called friends aren't here to save you, isn't it, boy?" With that, he gripped his son's throat and squeezed tight, enough to cause spots to form in front of Prompto's eyes._

 _"But they don't know who you are. You kept it a secret from them, didn't you?" he continued on, squeezing the life out of his own child. Prompto could feel himself struggling less and less, his panicked panting slowly weakening... his eyes closing as he realized..._

 _... no one would save him... not this time..._

* * *

"Prompto! Hey, come on! Prom!"

Gladio didn't know what just happened. One second, he was told by Ignis to watch Prompto and make sure he rested- he hadn't been sleeping well and everyone had noticed it. Which led to said chef nominating Gladio to watch him while he and Noctis went to pick some fresh potatoes and other fresh vegetables, since he was no longer able to do it himself.

Which led to Noct and Ignis heading out, and Gladio stayed in the tent, catching up on some reading. Prompto was asleep next to him, a bit uneasy, but asleep either way.

Which led to him suddenly screaming and thrashing out of the blue, almost hurting himself in the process.

Which is what Gladio was now stuck dealing with currently.

"Prompto, come on!" Gladio yelled as he held the kid down to prevent him from doing any damage to himself. He had to admit, as he listened to his friend breaking down, Prompto was unusally strong... why didn't he show more of this during his training sessions?

Now that he thought about it, Gladio realized Prompto hadn't been saying much since he was reunited with them, since Noct accidently pushed him off a moving train and almost killed him, since... some adventure he apparently had been on and wasn't saying too much about. Prompto used to be a very open book, always full of life and smiles, but now...

Gladio had heard Prompto tell the king countless times he forgave him, since it was an accident and there was a lot of emotion going on. everyone kind of left it at that. But as far as Gladio can see, Prompto was having a hard time coming to terms with a lot that happened to him, and having a harder time talking to them about it... which caused guilt to gnaw at him.

That argument on the train... did it still bother him?

Finally, finally, Prompto snapped out of it and jerked upright, almost knocking Gladio back. He sighed in relief and ran a hand through his hair, glad that scare was over and wondering where was Iggy when he needed him.

"Prompto... kid are you alright?" Gladio asked carefully, seeing him zone out as he sat up, confused and shivering. Noticing that, Gladio reached over and got Noct's blanket to drape over him.

"Prompto. Are you alright?" Gladio asked again. "Can you hear me?"

That vacant stare didn't waver as he shook his head no. It was then he noticed his slender fingers scratching at his left wrist, right where that code thing was. Gladio stopped him, grabbing his right hand and holding it tight. There was small trails of blood appearing on his pale skin, and Gladio hissed, "Dammit!"

Gladio wanted to get a cloth for his arm, but the way Prompto seemed to be acting... leaving him alone wasn't the best plan at the moment.

"Damn spot... I'm not a daemon... I... I'm not..." His lips quivered as he mumbled the same thing over and over again, trying to fight whoever held his arm hostage, until...

SLAP!

Gladio slapped the hell out of the blond, to the point his head whiplashed and he nearly fell over. Guilt hit him even harder as he saw the quickly reddening spot on his cheek. "How many times I gotta hurt you, Prompto..." he mumbled to himself as he watched Prompto's dull blue eyes slowly gain its life back.

Now snapped out of it, the blond blinked, his hand gingerly touching his cheek, trying to piece together what he did that caused his face to hurt so bad. "G-Gladdy... w-wha..."

The big guy let out a sigh and lowered his hand before kneeling on the ground, rubbing his skull in frustration. "Gonna give me a damn heart attack..." Gladio grumbled.

Prompto sighed. "I'm sorry..." he said quietly. "Did I... do something?"

"Besides freaking out outta nowhere and giving me a heart attack? Nope, nothing." Gladio replied semi- sarcastically. Prompto looked at him sheepishly. Did he freak out? What happened?

Just as he thought that, he remembered. His expression turned into one of horror and he began profusely apologizing to his hulking gentle giant of a brother. Gladio held up a hand, finally getting Prompto to quiet down as he tried to figure out his next course of action.

Seriously, what the hell just happened?

"Prom... you know that's like the fourth nightmare you've had since you've been back with us?" Gladio started. Safe enough question, right?

Prompto pulled his legs tight to his chest and rested his forehead on his arms, nodding yes. He couldn't fool himself any longer- he hadn't been sleeping well at all and he knew it was affecting them in battle. That was even more dangerous given Ignis no longer being able to see, and Noct and Gladio still somewhat tense with one another... he hadn't meant to break down like this.

But so much had happened... Luna dying... Iggy losing his sight and independence and watching him struggle when he never, ever had to do such a thing... Noct shutting down after losing his fiancée and the guilt of what happened to Iggy... Gladio and Noct butting heads so bad that Iggy finally snapped and still things are weird... and now his family drama and his own insecurities... it was way too much.

He wished he could sleep for a long, long time.

"I... don't know where to start. Not at all..." Prompto whispered. He wrapped his arms about himself and buried his head in them. "It... its a lot... it's too damn much..."

Gladio was beginning to think he had a feeling he knew what Prompto was about to dish on him, and looked at the tent ground before something hit him.

"Let's go outside. I want to make sure Your Idiot-ness doesn't get Iggy hurt on their way back."

Prompto looked up as he heard Gladio getting up, confused. "On their way back...? They... left?"

"Yeah, for some special veggies or some shit. I made Noct go with him to get his head on straight. Besides, it's Iggy, need I go on?"

Prompto let out a breathy laugh and wiped his eyes. "Nope... not at all."

The campsite was outdoors, something that for once, Prompto was grateful for. The night was cool, the breeze crisp as it fluttered his hair. Gods, that felt so good and he needed something to get his thoughts a bit more... organized.

How was he to explain anything to Gladio? It wasn't like he was hard to talk to or anything, but... maybe... he would... make fun of him. No, no, he wouldn't. Yeah, he is wise like Iggy, but with Iggy it was just... easier. Prompto smiled to himself- he could definitely see why he and Noct were calling Gladio dad and Iggy the mother hen when they were teens.

"... alright, kid. Spill it."

"H-huh?"

Gladio was sitting with him on a large rock overlooking most of the terrain, watching out for their friends, his Greatsword buried in the ground behind him in case he needed it. Glancing at Prompto, the swordsman waited for him to say something.

Prompto pulled his legs impossibly tighter to his chest, his teeth catching his bottom lip. Gladio looked around and narrowed his eyes, the beautiful nature scene doing nothing to hide the daemons that prowled around, and the anxiety that was bubbling up inside him. "Hope those two plan to return soon." he mumbled, almost forgetting why he was sitting outside.

"Gladio... could I ask you something?"

Said person looked at him. "Yeah, what?"

"You... you ever been terrified before?" Prompto almost whispered in his arm, ducking his head. His blond bangs hid the sadness and pain evident in his eyes, and Gladio was thankful he couldn't see it.

Even though he would never say it, he hated when Prompto had anything other than happiness shining in those blue orbs. It just wasn't him... and it was strange, usually because Gladio never really knew how to handle or approach it.

"Terrified? Like, having nightmares, or just scared of something?" Gladio clarified. Prompto decided to lift his head, but wouldn't look at Gladio. Gladio wasn't upset, though. He knew this was hard on Prompto, especially since this wasn't usually how he acted. It made the swordsman wonder just how much pain had this kid been holding in? What kind of secrets couldn't he bear to tell the others?

"B-Both."

"Huh... both." Gladio went silent as he thought about the question and how he wanted to answer. It was quiet, the occasional chirping of a cricket and the breeze the only sounds keeping Prompto company. He wondered if that question sounded childish... maybe he shouldn't have bothered asking; this was GLADIOLUS he was talking to, about the only thing that scared him were people who hated Cup Noodles.

"Yeah, I have." Gladio finally answered. Prompto didn't catch it at first. "What?"

"I said... yeah, I've been terrified... and I can be scared just like you." Gladio repeated, not looking the least bit fazed as he felt Prompto staring at him as if that were news.

"What? Didn't think I could be scared or something?"

"W-Well, y-yeah, I mean, no! I... oh man..." Groaning in embarrassment at how silly he was sounding, Prompto hid his face in his arms as his cheeks turned red. Gladio just laughed and clapped him on the shoulder playfully. "It's okay kid. Of course you guys wouldn't see it- I got a rep to maintain and all. But... yeah, I've been scared. Remember that 'business' I told you I needed to take care of?"

Prompto racked his memory for the story, and when he finally recalled it, nodded, unsure what that had to do with now. "But you weren't scared; you wanted to go! It sounded like you were excited... that's not what I would've done at all."

An eyebrow arched and Prompto laughed a little. "It's true. The whole hunting thing, that kinda just fits you, big guy." He looked at his hands.

"I'm not exactly the bravest one out of us in case you hadn't noticed."

Gladio bit his tongue- he was going to get to that in a moment. "Regadless of what you think about yourself, it isn't true in the slightest. But ya not gettin' outta this one, Prompto. So why don't you start telling me what's really been going on in that head of yours."

Prompto sighed and buried his head in his arms. "Gladio... it... I mean, I don't..." he stammered as he tried to actually say what was on the tip of his tongue. He needed to get it off his chest but it wasn't easy. Gladio was definitely a lot more patient than Noct made him out to be, he thought randomly, wondering how he hadn't shaken or threatened him to talk already.

"How's this. You still haven't really got over what happened to you when the whole train situation went down. Start from there."

Prompto nodded, his gaze suddenly locked on a particular rock a couple hundred yards away. "I thought I did, but... I mean, I did, but that's... that's a scary thought. Seeing him like that was scary." he said quietly, almost to himself. Gladio heard him nonetheless and nodded.

"Is that the reason why it was hard to let that go? Because it was Noct?"

Prompto didn't respond. Instead, he asked something else, something that had been bothering him for a long, long time now.

"Gladio... if I were ever... you know, one of those MTs... you'd stop me from hurting you guys, right?"

THAT caught Gladio off guard. He didn't know too much about Prompto's past and the blond made it clear several times he didn't want to talk about it. "... where is that coming from?" Gladio asked. Prompto looked at him for a moment before he averted his eyes in guilt and... shame, if he were honest.

"Hey. Kid, look at me." Prompto struggled to, but eventually, he did, right into Gladio's warm brown eyes.

"Answer me this, and don't lie to me. Do you believe you would hurt us?" Gladio asked. Prompto opened his mouth to answer but stopped.

"I don't... know anymore. I mean, I..." He looked off. Gladio just shook his head and resumed his watchman post.

"Well? Do you?"

Prompto looked down in defeat, his face wet with tears. "I don't know... I don't know what I am... or who I am and it's bothering me... and then Noct pushing me off the train... a-and Ardyn..." He trailed off and wiped his face, sighing heavily.

"Sorry, didn't mean to sound like that."

Gladio just shrugged. More silence befell the two. Then Prompto started talking again.

"I heard him. Mocking me. Telling me what I already knew but didn't want to really... hear, I guess."

"Who?"

"My... father."

At that, Gladio's expression darkened. He grunted and looked back at the sky. "Verstael or something like that, right? Old crazy dude?"

Prompto' mouth fell open. "H-How did you...?"

"Let's just say... I overheard a bit more than I was supposed to... annnnnd I wanted to know more about the strange newcomer that was sharing a school with our then lazy ass prince."

Prompto was still confused. None of that had been made known to him until now. "Wha... what... do you mean?"

Gladio looked at him a moment and sighed before turning his attention back to the star filled sky above. "Back when Noct first told us about you, Iggy did a bit of background checking, since he too wasn't from Lucis. Naturally, since you were... you know..." Gladio waved his hand around in that 'I don't want to say it but catch on please' kind of way. Prompto just smiled.

"Not royalty? You can say it, bro. I'm not hurt by it."

Gladio felt a bit guilty for putting his friend on blast and wished Ignis hurried back already, but cleared his throat and continued on. "Y-Yeah... but we needed to know who you were, make sure you weren't a MT-"

Again, Gladio caught himself. Again, Prompto just waved it off. A strange silence befell them for awhile, giving the sharpshooter some time to process what he had just learned.

Prompto realized no one had ever told him about his background check- but it must've been for good reason. Maybe it was something he just hadn't needed to know. But what about his father? His past? Did they know about him being a coded, branded boy? Why hadn't they said something, hated him, locked him away from Noct? What if he had _hurt_ any of them? He also hadn't realized Ignis was from someplace other than Lucis- he seemed like he was born there, outside of the accent. But again, he didn't think that was something to ask him. It wasn't his place.

"Prom?"

Said man snapped out of it. "H-huh? Yeah?"

"...you okay? Kinda went silent on me."

Prompto nodded. "Just... needed to process all that, you know? Its... a lot..."

Gladio pondered on that for a moment before asking, "Did Ardyn tell you anything? Before we got to you when you were captured?"

Prompto wished to all the Astrals above that he didn't have to remember anything that bastard told him, but he did. It made him sick to think about it, and closing his eyes, he extended his left wrist out to Gladio, code exposed for all to see.

"Hmm? What's... Prom, ya trembling. What's wrong?"

Sure enough, the blond was trembling, but completely out of fear. How was Gladio going to react? Would he hate him like 'Noct' did? "Ardyn didn't... tell me too much outright... and I... oh god..." Prompto suddenly covered his mouth to hold in an oncoming sob. Gladio was still patient and gentle with him, not rushing him, knowing he would talk eventually.

"It h-hurt... so bad... and I wanted to just die right then and there. I thought... you guys... w-w-weren't coming for me..."

Gladio placed a hand on the smaller man's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "You know us by now, Prom. How did you think we weren't coming?" he asked softly, not trying to push the kid over the edge.

"B-Because... I... I wasn't human..." Prompto whispered through blurred eyes. He wiped his face, but one lone tear wrenched free and rolled down his cheek. "I wasn't important... and once I realized that... I was ready to give up and just..." He trailed off and took a deep breath, letting it out, trying to calm himself. Then he looked at his left wrist, the barcode forever printed on his skin. Gladio's gaze trailed to it as well.

"I found out everything I'd been telling myself was a lie... that I was created and born to be a solider experiment... and that's why I apparently had been kidnapped by the Lucians. They must've found out what my father and his team were plotting and saved me... but I was imprinted with this for the rest of my life..."

As Gladio looked closer, he noticed a strange, semi-dark burn over most of the barcode that he knew wasn't there before. Reaching out, he placed his fingers over it. Prompto closed his eyes, the feeling of someone touching that scar bringing back more memories he wished he could forget.

"You know I'm gonna ask."

"I know." he whispered.

"Tell me."

Prompto felt impossibly weak as he recalled what he did that cold night near that small fire. There was no way he could tell Gladio, the one he tried so hard to impress, the one who seemed almost unshakable... their pillar, their strength...

 _'He'll hate me... he's gonna tell them and they'll hate me but if I don't tell him... I'll never live with myself. I've gotten this far...'_

Opening his eyes, his downcast gaze never left his suddenly interesting boots. "I... I tried to get rid of it..."

"What do you mean?" Granted, Gladio knew exactly what he had done. He knew the minute he saw it. He just wanted to hear the kid say it himself.

"I burned myself, okay?! Is that what you wanted to hear?!" Prompto suddenly snapped on him, pulling his wrist away from his friend. "Why do you keep asking me all this?! You want me to be seen as weak, don't you?! You just WANT me to be a pathetic loser!"

Gladio didn't say anything, just kept a steady, calm gaze on his upset friend, who was panting as his energy slowly died out. Prompto just sat there, tired from days of little to no sleep, and now the emotions flooding through him as well. It was beginning to be too much.

"I don't see you as weak, Prompto." Gladio finally spoke after a long standoff. Prompto's eyes widened, as if the admission was something new, something that he never heard before. Which, given who it was coming from, made sense. He slowly inched closer to the stunned blond.

"None of us ever have. Yeah, annoying, and sometimes a huge pain in the ass, but then again, so is Noct and Iggy on their bad days. I'm not easy to deal with myself. But Prompto... you need to understand something."

Closer and closer he got, before he was close enough to pull Prompto in for a hug, something he would deny for years to come if he ever brought it up again.

"You chose to energy our lives, and your energy, your persistence, your happiness... you brought that into all our lives. Not just Noct, but me and Iggy too. You kept us more sane than we would have ever been before. And yeah, you don't like to battle, but you've saved our asses time and again. You may not be royal blood or otherwise, but... I guess what I'm saying... Prompto..."

Gladio smiled and rested his head on Prompto's as he felt his chest slowly dampening with more tears. "You're human. You've always been human and that's how we will always treat you. You're Noct's closest friend, and Iggy and mine now too. We protect you, just like we protect our king because you're important to us. Don't you EVER think of yourself as less because I'll beat your ass if you do. Got it?"

Prompto tried hard, he did. But he couldn't stop the floodgates from opening. His face pressed into a warm chest, Prompto finally let out all the pain and confusion he'd been struggling with for so long. Gladio didn't say anything else, just rubbed his back and held him steady as he awaited the return of his other two friends.

* * *

"Gladio? Prompto?" Ignis called after almost three hours of hunting for his vegggies and other things. Noct walked up to the campsite a few seconds later, irritated that he's been stuck listening to Ignis talking on and on about potatoes... they all looked the damn same! What was the big deal?!

"Oi, Prom? Where are-" He stopped when Iggy stopped walking out of nowhere, and peered from behind him to see what made him stop. Iggy let a small smile form on his face, despite not actually seeing what Noct saw.

Gladio was leaned against one of the men's lounge chairs, reading a book. In his arms slept an exhausted Prompto, covered by a light blanket from the tent. The soft snores of Prompto was what caused Iggy to stop and listen. Gladio didn't look up from his reading.

"Hey. Back at last?"

"Yes. Sorry for the long wait. Noctis had some difficulty following directions." Iggy said simply as he made his way to the cooking station. Noct glared at his advisor as he carried the goods over to the table.

"Well, if you had explained it better, I would know what the hell-!"

Gladio did look up at that point. "Hey. Shut your trap so he can sleep, would ya?"

Noct looked like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Making a face at Gladio, he helped Iggy with prepping that night's dinner. Iggy turned his head slightly to the right, where he guessed Gladio would be closest.

"Did he finally talk, Gladio?"

Gladio nodded and sighed, taking a glance at the man asleep in his arms. "... yeah. He had a lot on him... it's best for him to tell you everything when he wakes."

"And after he eats some soild food. It has been a long time since any solid food actually passed his lips." Iggy added as he heard Noct yelp and turned his head in the direction he heard him cry out.

"For heaven's sake, Noct, what did you do?"

As Noctis and Iggy squabbled and prepared dinner, Gladio returned back to his book. Prompto stirred but soon stilled and slept on.

 _'Glad you're gettin' back to normal, kid. Missed hearin' your stupid chocobo song...'_ the swordsman thought to himself with a small smile.

 **END**

* * *

 **And complete! I couldn't figure out what to do with the ending... but I hope it was okay nonetheless. Please let me know what you think!**

 **Until next time!**


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